Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009

Today in the News Media

Today in the News Media is a synopsis of some of the most prominent coverage of OSU people and programs. Inclusion of any item constitutes neither an endorsement nor a critique, but rather is intended only to make the OSU community aware of significant items in the media.

Positive Parenting Can Have Lasting Impact for Generations (US News & World Report)
A new study by OSU that looks at data on three generations of Oregon families shows that “positive parenting”—including factors such as warmth, monitoring children’s activities, involvement, and consistency of discipline—not only has positive impacts on adolescents, but on the way they parent their own children. (See also Science 360)OSU now offering a Mastery of Aging certificate (Northwest Cable News)
Older adults can take a college course and earn a certificate in the mastery of aging well through a new Web-based program developed by Oregon State University.Master gardeners recognized by OSU Extension (Oregonian)
Two Oregonians have been selected to receive statewide awards for their work with the Oregon State University master gardener program, and 25 individuals have been recognized as county master gardeners of the year.

NW fiber optic cuts can disrupt but fix is fast (Oregonian)
Tom Plant, an Oregon State University engineering professor and expert in optical electronics, says repairs to fiber optic lines can be made quickly because a break is easy to locate with light signals if it’s not already obvious, and repairs are simple with the right tools.Unionized Oregon university workers reach accord (KATU)
Negotiators for more than 4,000 classified workers on seven campuses in the Oregon University System — represented by SEIU Local 503 — have reached a tentative agreement with university officials for a new two-year contract.
Oxidative Stress Is Underlying Cause Of Huge Numbers Of Genetic Mutations, Study Finds (Science Daily)
A study that tracked genetic mutations through the human equivalent of about 5,000 years has demonstrated for the first time that oxidative DNA damage is a primary cause of the process of mutation – the fuel for evolution but also a leading cause of aging, cancer and other diseases. The analysis was done by scientists at Oregon State University, Indiana University, the University of Florida and University of New Hampshire, in studies supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Grain crops gain ground on grass seed in Oregon (Mail Tribune)
About 90,000 to 120,000 acres of wheat — mostly soft white wheat used for making tortillas and pasta, not bread, is being harvested this year, estimates Jim Peterson, a wheat breeder at Oregon State University.

OSU trying to sell four houses, cheap (Gazette-Times)
Oregon State University plans to remove four houses from land in southwest Corvallis for future development, but hopes people will buy the structures through an online auction where the minimum bid is $50.

Tailgaters tackle rain, early start (Gazette-Times)
For truly loyal Oregon State University football fans, tailgating was a no-brainer Saturday morning. But even they had to admit that a slew of factors – rain, an early start time, a non-conference opponent and a holiday weekend – kept the atmosphere more subdued than usual.

Today

Linus Pauling Resident Scholar Toshihiro Higuchi will give a presentation on “Tipping the Scales of Justice: Linus Pauling, the Fallout Suits, and the Judicial Aspect of the Global Environmental Crisis” at The Valley Library, today. The hour-long presentation will be in the Willamette East classroom on the third floor of the library beginning at 2 p.m. This talk is a summary of Mr. Higuchi’s month-long research in the Library’s Special Collections unit. Mr. Higuchi is currently a doctoral student in the History Department at Georgetown University. For more information please contact Cliff.Mead@oregonstate.edu

Upcoming Events

NEW! Oregon State University is launching the Hallie Ford Center for Healthy Children. The new center, part of the College of Health and Human Sciences, will launch Sept. 9, with two public events: a research symposium and a ceremony. The research symposium highlighting faculty research on children and families takes place at 10:30 a.m. in Milam Auditorium. Among the speakers at the symposium will be OSU’s internationally recognized early childhood expert Megan McClelland, who developed a key self-regulation task for preschool age children as a way to predict school readiness. There also will be a ceremony and reception at 9:09 a.m. at 26th Street and Campus Way, near the future site of the building for the Hallie Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families, which is scheduled to break ground in 2011.

More than 180 photographs of wildlife found in North America are featured in the exhibit, North American Wildlife, now showing in the Giustina Gallery. The photographers, Sharon and Larry Rosenkoetter, are both affiliated with OSU. The exhibit, which is co-sponsored by OSU’s Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, will show through Sept. 30. An artist’s reception will be held from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., Sept. 11. It is free and open to the public.

A Corvallis Transit System route revisions public meeting will take place at 8:20 a.m. Sept. 9. The meeting will look at the elimination of Route C4 (Saturday Downtown Circulator), reduction of service on Route C3 (Southwest Commuter), as well as other changes. The meeting will be held at 500 S.W. Madison Avenue in the Madison Avenue Meeting Room. Current maps and schedules are available at www.corvallistransit.com, or by calling 541-766-6998.

The Valley Library will be closed for an annual in-service day for faculty and staff during intersession, Sept. 9. Although the library will not be open the main entrance on first and second floors will be unlocked for access to the outer lobby, ATM, phones and Java II. For more information please contact Kerrie.Cook@oregonstate.edu or call 541-737-4633.

Local nonprofit AIDS Service organization, Valley AIDS Information Network (VAIN) will host a fundraising event called Beach Blanket Babylon at 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 12 at the Osborn Aquatic Center’s Otter Beach, located at 1940 NW Highland Dr. The family-friendly event is open to the public. Participants will have access to the Otter Beach section of the water park and hamburgers and sodas will be served. Admission is $20 for adults (18+), $10 for all students with student ID, and free for children under 12 accompanied by an adult and a donation of a can of food. Food donations will be given to Linn Benton Food Share. The event will be emceed by local drag queen personalities LaVerne Lydell and Lucilla DeMoore.

Oregon State University will hold a rulemaking hearing Sept. 15, regarding a proposal to revise regulations governing the use of motor vehicles. The amendment would permit OSU to have vehicles towed that are parked in reserved parking spaces or handicapped spaces. The purpose of the hearing is to give the public a chance to provide feedback and comments on the proposed action. The hearing will begin at 1:30 p.m. in Memorial Union 206. It is open to the public.
For more current and upcoming events, go to http://oregonstate.edu/events/

News for Employees

NEW! Any interested international student or OSU professor who would like to create a cultural booth for the Sept. 19 International Peace Day Fair in Central Park can do so for free, by contacting Leah Bloger at 541-207-7761.

NEW! Announcing the brand new people.oregonstate.edu web site! What is changing? ONID personal web sites, previously available at http://oregonstate.edu/~username, will be moving to their own web site at http://people.oregonstate.edu/~username on Sept. 14. What do you need to do? Update any information that references your previous page by replacing http://oregonstate.edu/~username with http://people.oregonstate.edu/~username. We will automatically redirect requests from the old web site to the new web site. We do not expect these changes to impact your current site. In the event that your site is no longer functional, please first check your site for places where you will need to specify people.oregonstate.edu and update your configuration. If your site is still not functioning, please open a help ticket at: https://access.cws.oregonstate.edu/helpticket/visitors/entry/ and select “Systems” as the General Subject.

The Research Office is requesting Letters of Intent from interested faculty for the National Science Foundation – Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in Engineering program. Research Office Letter of Intent submission deadline: Sept. 28. The program limits to two the number of proposals that can be submitted by OSU for the RET program. Guidance for preparation of Letters of Intent to the Research Office and full details for the NSF-RET program can be found at: http://oregonstate.edu/research/incentive/ret.html Letters of Intent should be submitted electronically as a MS Word or PDF document to Debbie Delmore, Research Office at: debbie.delmore@oregonstate.edu

Facilities Services is seeking a Fiscal Coordinator 2. This is a full-time position, reporting to the Associate Director-Controller of Facilities Services. Recruitment is open to current OSU employees only. Position details and qualifications can be found at http://oregonstate.edu/jobs . Position closes Sept.14.

There will be no CTS or Philomath Connection bus service Monday, Sep. 7, in observance of Labor Day. Normal service resumes Sept. 8. A new Crescent Valley Area (CVA) service will begin Sept. 8. The new service will provide two morning runs and two early evening runs to the Crescent Valley area. Commuter Route C1 also returns Sept. 8 for morning and afternoon service. For information about routes and schedules for the transit system, call 541-766-6998 or www.corvallistransit.com

Transit & Parking Services sixth annual Car in the Jar contest! Please come by our office located at 100 Adams Hall to view the cars in the jar and guess how many there are to win a free annual parking permit. The winner’s name will be drawn Oct 15.

The Health Sciences Business Center is seeking applicants for a full-time, 12-month fixed term position as Human Resources Consultant 2. This is an internal recruitment open to OSU employees only. To review posting and apply, go to http://oregonstate.edu/jobs posting number 0004653 . Closing date: Sept. 11.

The Arts and Science Business Center is seeking applicants for a full-time (1.0 FTE), 12-month Accountant 2. The Arts & Sciences Business Center (ASBC) is responsible for providing administrative, human resources, and business services to the College of Education, the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Science, and the Honors College. This is an internal recruitment open to OSU employees only. To review posting and apply, go to http://oregonstate.edu/jobs posting number 0004656. Closing date: Sept. 13.

Finance and Administration is recruiting for a Manager for the Business Center 7 which will serve Business Services, Conference Services, Counseling Services, Facilities, Housing & Dining Services, Memorial Union, Public Safety, Recreational Sports, Student Health Services, and Athletics. This is a 12-month, fixed-term, professional faculty position with annual full-time salary range of $95,000 – $105,000/yr. This position will initially be housed in Business Services. This is an Internal Search, and is open to current, regular status OSU employees only. The deadline for applications is Sept. 11. For the full announcement and application instructions, please visit http://oregonstate.edu/jobs.

Fall 2009-2010 parking permits are now on sale at Transit & Parking Services. For all the parking permit updates, access the information online at http://oregonstate.edu/facilities/transit_pkg/permit_pkg.html Click on either the ‘staff & faculty’ or ‘student’ located under the ‘parking permits’ for the correct forms to fill out. The OSU ID card is required for purchasing any permit. Term permits are also available.

Oregon State University invites applications for a full-time (1.0 FTE), 12-month, fixed-term position as Vice President for Research. This position reports to the President. For details go to https://jobs.oregonstate.edu posting number 0004640. This position closes Oct. 27.

The Oregon State University Foundation is seeking an experienced Administrative Assistant to provide primary support to the Sr. Director of Strategic Communications and Donor Relations and Associate Campaign Director and to the staff in this department. For a complete job description and information about the OSU Foundation, go to www.osufoundation.org. Interested candidates should direct cover letter and resume to Fran Judy, Sr. HR Coordinator, at osuf.hr@oregonstate.edu, 850 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, 97333. This position will remain open until filled.

Traffic and Maintenance

Campus Way, Bates Lot, Kelley Lot: On Sept. 9, at 9:09 am, the OSU Foundation is hosting a Program Launch event for the Hallie Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families. We will be erecting a small tent for the ceremony on Campus Way (just west of 26th Street), which will require a road closure (outlined below). Additionally we will be parking a small number of guests in parking lots surrounding the event site. Street Closure: Campus Way, closed from 1 p.m. Sept. 8 until 2 p.m. Sept. 9 from 26th Street west to the arch. Parking Lot Impact: Bates Lot, closed from 7 a.m. until 11 a.m. on Sept. 9. Kelley Lot will remain open but guests will be parking in the lot .

Monroe and 14th St: Due to required maintenance on the Monroe & 14th street signal pole, the right-hand turn lane on Monroe & 14th street will be temporarily closed. Suggested detour routes are south at the intersection of 15th street and Jefferson Way. Traffic control devices will be in place to direct traffic. This shutdown will begin at 8 a.m. today should end by 5 p.m. Sept. 9.

Adams; Ag Life Sciences, Cascade Hall, Crop Science, Dearborn, EH&S Annex, Heat Plant, Gill Coliseum, Kelley Engineering, Kerr, Magruder Hall, Milne Computer Center, Own Hall, Plageman, Reser, Richardson, Peavy, Valley Library: In association with required annual generator maintenance, Facilities Services will be performing load and service testing for the above listed buildings. During this time building generators will be operating for a two-hour duration. The engine noise may vary by building and proximity. The testing will begin at 8 a.m. today and we anticipate concluding testing by 5 p.m. Sept. 15.

Weather

Tis the season for brand-new backpacks and bouquets of freshly sharpened pencils. A brisk morning will warm up quickly as we see a high of 79 today and an overnight low of 49. Tomorrow should be 78 and partly sunny.